THE Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has challenged the media to help simplify the contents of the constitution bill which was recently published by the Government so that many people understand the document.
NGOCC executive director Engwase Mwale said the media were in privileged position to help in simplifying the constitution bill considering the fact that the reading culture in the country was very poor.
Ms Mwale commended the Government for publishing the constitution bill but noted that there was need for all concerted efforts to sensitise the public on the document.
She was speaking at a media briefing in Livingstone yesterday at Woodlands Lodge where she delivered the position of the NGOCC on the current constitution making process.
Scores of women from various associations from Monze, Mazabuka, Kalomo and Livingstone attended the briefing after which they proceeded for a workshop on other matters.
“We want to appeal to the media to simplify the constitution bill and take the information to each and every part of Zambia.
“It is the role of the media to unpack information which they capture and promote further debate and analysis to discuss these things,” Ms Mwale said.
She said the media was a strategic ally in seeing that the people of Zambia were well informed and educated on the constitution and other matters.
Ms Mwale said it was good that the constitution bill had been released and members of the public would see what was contained in the document.
“There is need for Zambians to get involved in the constitution making process and acquaint themselves with the published constitution bill.
“We want to believe that Government should take leadership to make informed available to citizens aby ensuring that the bill is simplified and translated into local languages so that many people read and understand it,” Ms Mwale said.
She however said the planned partial enactment of the constitution by Parliament as not an appropriate route as it would subject the constitution to further debate and alterations by law makers against the wishes of the Zambian people which they made in the past during various consultation processes.
“On behalf of 104 member organisations of the NGOCC, we wish to disapprove Government plans to adopt and enact the new constitution through the partial process in Parliament.
“We strong believe that the process as demanded by the people of Zambia of adopting and enacting the constitution through a referendum is a democratic right of every Zambian and therefore the Government should take on that process to allow every citizen to participate,” she said.
She said there was no need for Member of Parliament (MPs) to further debate the constitution as they were part of the consultations at the district and national level.
“We would like to share our utmost aspiration to see the Bill of Rights adopted as a matter of priority through a national referendum as part of the whole constitution making process.
“We want to emphasise our insistent calls on holding the national referendum now and separate from the general elections in 2016. The issue of cost for the national referendum is not a big factor and what we need is to prioritise it because the country has adequate resources,” she said.
Ms Mwale said the Grand Coalition network, where NGOCC was also a member, was still resolute in pushing for a people driven constitution despite some members pulling out of the network.
Just call in kids and do a reality TV/Radio show where they travel and learn history, what a constitution is, how it protects and the merits…. Translate in to local languages and broadcast it when the kid have gone to bed so all the adults can pretend they are watching it on behalf of the kids… Then the adults can also get the free comic from any supermarket in the pretext that it’s for the kids… and use pseudonyms to debate it online… Voila. How To Teach an Adult Without Making Them Acknowledge Ignorance. Best beneficiaries? All MPs.
We have a draft constitution but now the government comes up with another obstacle: adopting it through a suspicious process; by a parliament that is dominated by a party whose top leadership is on a public record of being opposed to having a new constitution!!!! That is Zambia for us. As far as the ruling party leadership, a new constitution is a nuisance not warranting spending money on its final process.
How do expect these journalists to simplify the damn thing when they have never bothered to read it in the first place? I bet you most of the opposition parties haven’t read it either.
We should not just have a yes/no option. Can we please also have an alternative Constitution to chose from?
What happened to Satas ANIMAL DRIVEN CONSTITUTION? That one might be better for Zambia. Especially for the PF.
After all, they are just a bunch of selfish ANIMALS. Animal farm all over again!
Awe mukwai Asking the Zambian media to simplify our constitution? When they are so incompetent in their job? They can even construct one sentence correctly! Its asking too much. Our lawyers are no better because they will cover the constitution in legal jargon that makes no sense. Our teachers? Katwishi. I think we will end up asking a foreign company to simplify it for us
Awe mukwai Asking the Zambian media to simplify our constitution? When they are so incompetent in their job? They cant even construct one sentence correctly! Its asking too much. Our lawyers are no better because they will cover the constitution in legal jargon that makes no sense. Our teachers? Katwishi. I think we will end up asking a foreign company to simplify it for us
Bring back lawyers like James Skinner.